A Century-Old Japanese-Era Residence Museum: A Micro Journey Through the Old Streets

By MOOK Traveler Christopher | Compiled & Reported

Taoyuan’s Daxi District holds a two-century snapshot of history, featuring a long-standing woodworking industry, Japanese colonial-era cultural sites, and local community-based temple associations. The Daxi Timber Industry Eco-Museum was born out of the concept of safeguarding cultural heritage while engaging with the local community. Focusing on two core themes—the Daxi timber industry and the everyday life of Daxi residents—it promotes contemporary woodcraft lifestyle aesthetics. The museum grows together with its residents, transforming the entire Daxi area into an open-air, unwalled eco-museum.

The woodworking industry took root in Daxi in the 1810s. After two centuries of development, numerous woodworking shops and sawmills still thrive here, making it one of Taiwan’s key hubs for the timber industry. In 1901, the Daxi Branch Office was established here, and a complex of police dormitories was built, forming a unique police residential community that witnessed the century-long development of Daxi’s police system from the Japanese colonial period to the present.